When I was in high school, there was one band that had the best sound I’d ever heard. They were called The Proletariat, and they were a punk rock band from Boston. I didn’t know it at the time, but they were really advocating for Communism, and they were mostly bashing the Reagan Administration. (Most punk bands were at the time: the best time for punk rock ever! I’m not a big fan of Communism, but I love that music!) But I was just listening to them again, and on came one of my favorite songs of theirs, and it’s called “Events/Repeat”. It says: “Events repeat: Cold War reborn! (etc.)” This really struck home for me about something I have read lately in the news:
Vladimir Putin will most likely win the presidency of Russia again tomorrow. He wants to start a new nuclear arms race, or so I keep hearing. So, Cold War reborn, indeed! Putin is an unfortunate relic of the Cold War that sees America and Russia as forever enemies. This is a big mistake! While we’re busy fighting each other, the rest of the world is becoming more volatile. Maybe I’m being stupid, but I was really hoping Russia and the United States would be allies from now on. Silly me, I guess. But someday, we’ll both wake up with a dirty bomb in our cities from someone else, and this new Cold War will not have helped whatsoever! So please: Stop the foolishness, before it’s too late!
I had hoped Putin would simply ride into the sunset as the elder statesman: that way, he could be forever lauded for leading Russia back to prosperity, just like Reagan is here. Plus, he could sit back and criticize everyone else, and simply be the guy everyone fondly remembers (They will remember him much more fondly once he’s gone from politics.), but not actually be responsible for anything going wrong. This new arms race could accidentally kill everyone again, so it’s not such a good idea, Vlad. Besides: America is not really your enemy anymore; we’re more like a friendly competitor nowadays: you really need to change with the times, my friend.
Now, I have watched RT News before, so I know that Russia blames America for everything in the world now, if this newscast is any indication. That’s funny, because I always thought it was either the Democrats or the Republicans that were to blame for everything wrong in the world: that’s what American news always says! But apparently, it’s actually the whole United States that’s to blame for everything that’s wrong in the world (!). I admit I did it (whatever “it” is), but is everyone else in America really to blame? That just seems a little bit childishly vindictive to me, like someone who never got over losing a fight with a friend. So get your revenge on us, Mr. Putin, if you must, but remember one thing: You will then be responsible for keeping the lid on all the world’s problems. We might help you, but only if you’re nice. And if you really have to be the world’s policeman, you might just regret not having America to kick around anymore. Because once we’re not #1 anymore, you’ll get the world’s critical eye then: not us. (Or maybe China will pass us both while we’re busy throwing sand in each other’s faces!)
But hey, just like I love the Communist-themed punk rock (even though I’m not a fan of Communism), I also love the Soviet-era Russian national anthem! Boy, it’s magisterial! That’s one thing I will always appreciate Vladimir Putin for: bringing back that great piece of music! I hope I can also appreciate him for more in the future too, but only if he’s willing to let bygones be bygones and be friends with the USA. I was really pulling for a resurgent Russia, but as an ally, not as a renewed enemy! Do you really want to rewind the past? Why don’t we both just go oppress everyone else together? China can join in too if they want! (I’m kidding. We shouldn’t oppress everyone, even if it is fun. But it would be nice to be allies with Russia. We’re both more similar than we are different. You know how Rocky and Apollo Creed became fast friends after the big fight? Why not Russia and the USA too? It would help more to work together than to start the belligerence all over again. But if you must relive the past, then at least let us beat you again, okay? {You deserve that barb for the RT Newscasts, Mr. Putin! But they are funny. And we do have a sense of humor in America!})
Here’s the song I’m talking about:
And if you like that, there’s also these (their best songs: “Options”, and “Voodoo Economics”):
And here is the Russian National Anthem (What amazing music! It’s simply magisterial! Wow! No politics here: just appreciation for great music! Along with the German National Anthem, probably the best in the world, for music.):
Here’s where they brought it back (at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics):
